Caplet PDE Source Term and a Suspected Typo in the Payoff
Summary
The document examines the partial differential equation for a continuously paid caplet on a short rate. Starting from a hedged portfolio with instantaneous payoff max(rate minus strike, zero), the questioner derives a PDE with that payoff as a source term and asks why a book instead contains the minimum of the rate and strike. An accepted answer identifies the book’s expression as a likely typo and gives the PDE with the positive-part payoff.
The answer also derives the result through risk-neutral valuation: discounting the accumulated continuous payments produces a martingale after adding payments already made, and applying Itô’s formula yields the same PDE. A second answer rewrites the minimum expression algebraically, showing its relation to the payoff term. The derivation assumes a diffusion model for the short rate and continuous payment; it does not directly cover caplets with discrete settlement conventions or alternative payoff definitions.
Key ideas
- A continuously paid caplet has an instantaneous payoff equal to the positive part of the short rate minus the strike.
- The PDE includes that payoff as a source term alongside the rate generator and discounting term.
- The accepted answer treats the book’s minimum expression as a likely typo.
- A discounted cash flow martingale gives an alternative derivation under a short-rate diffusion assumption.
- The derivation concerns continuous payments and may not match discrete settlement conventions.
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Full text
# The PDE of caplet and floors
# The PDE of caplet and floors
I know following PDE is the `continuous payment case`, but a caplet pays as rate: $\max(r - r^*,0),$ use the hedge portfolio $\Pi = V- \Delta Z$ $$d\Pi = dV- \Delta dZ +\max(r - r^*,0)dt = r\Pi dt $$ then the result PDE should be $$\dfrac{\partial V}{\partial t} + LV -rV + \max(r - r^*,0) = 0$$ Here $L$ is Black-Scholes operator, and $Z$ is zero=coupon bond respect to interest rate $r.$
But, why in the following book, the constant term is $\min(r,r^*)$ I can't understand that.
## Answer by Gordon (score 3, accepted)
https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/33092
It must be a typo for the equation in the book. That is, the equation for a caplet is of the form \begin{align*} \frac{\partial V}{\partial t} + LV - r_t V +\max(r_t-r^*, 0) = 0, \end{align*} which can also be derived using the martingale approach.
Specifically, note that the accumulated payments from time $t$ up to maturity $T$ is given by \begin{align*} \int_t^T \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds. \end{align*} Let $B_t=e^{\int_0^t r_udu}$ be the money market account value at time $t$. Then, the option value at time $t$ is given by \begin{align*} V_t &= B_tE\left(\frac{\int_t^T \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds}{B_T} \mid \mathcal{F}_t \right)\\ &=B_tE\left(\frac{\int_0^T \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds - \int_0^t \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds}{B_T} \mid \mathcal{F}_t \right)\\ &=B_tE\left(\frac{\int_0^T \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds}{B_T} \mid \mathcal{F}_t\right) \\ &\qquad- B_tE\left(\frac{\int_0^t \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds}{B_T} \mid \mathcal{F}_t \right)\\ &=B_tE\left(\frac{\int_0^T \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{\int_s^T r_u du} ds}{B_T} \mid \mathcal{F}_t\right) -B_t\int_0^t \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{-\int_0^s r_u du} ds. \end{align*} That is, \begin{align*} M_t \equiv e^{-\int_0^t r_udu} V_t + \int_0^t \max(r_s-r^*, 0)e^{-\int_0^s r_u du} ds \end{align*} is a martingale. We assume that \begin{align*} dr_t = \mu(t, r_t) dt + \sigma(t, r_t) dW_t, \end{align*} where $\{W_t, t \ge 0\}$ is a standard Brownian motion. Then \begin{align*} dM_t &= -r_t e^{-\int_0^t r_udu} V dt + e^{-\int_0^t r_udu}\left(\frac{\partial V}{\partial t} + LV\right)dt\\ &\qquad + e^{-\int_0^t r_udu}\frac{\partial V}{\partial r}\sigma(t, r_t) dW_t + \max(r_t-r^*, 0)e^{-\int_0^t r_u du} dt. \end{align*} Consequently, \begin{align*} \frac{\partial V}{\partial t} + LV - r_t V +\max(r_t-r^*, 0) = 0. \end{align*}
## Answer by JejeBelfort (score 0)
https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/33023
How exactly did you find the first equation:
$$ d\Pi = dV-\Delta dZ + max(r-r^*,0) dt = r \Pi dt\,? $$
I mean how does the term $max(r-r^*,0) dt$ pops up?
Then, it is worth mentioning that:
$$ min(r,r^*) = - max(-r^*,-r) = -(max(r-r^*,0) - r) = r - max(r-r^*,0) $$
Maybe the latter can help.Shown in full with attribution under the source's licence. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Stack Exchange)
This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.